Yini Esiyaziyo Ngempela Ngesikhathi Nobuphakade?

I-ENCYCLOPEDIA ethile ithi: “Isikhathi sibonakala singenye yezinto ezingaqondakali kunazo zonke umuntu aye wabhekana nazo.” Yebo, cishe akunakwenzeka ukusichaza kalula isikhathi. Singase sithi isikhathi “siyadlula,” “siyahamba,” “siyagijima,” futhi size sithi thina ngokwethu sihambisana “nesikhathi.” Kodwa empeleni asikwazi lokho esikhuluma ngako.

Isikhathi siye sachazwa ngokuthi “ibanga eliphakathi kwezenzakalo ezimbili.” Nokho, kubonakala sengathi ulwazi lwethu lusitshela ukuthi isikhathi asincikile ezenzakalweni; sibonakala sihamba kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kwenzeka okuthile noma cha. Esinye isazi sefilosofi sithi empeleni ayikho into eyisikhathi kodwa simane singokuthile esikucabangayo. Ingabe lento izenzakalo zokuphila kwethu eziningi kangaka ezisekelwe kuyo ingaba okuthile esizakhele kona engqondweni?

Umbono WeBhayibheli Ngesikhathi

IBhayibheli alinikezi ncazelo yesikhathi, okusikisela ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi umuntu akanakukwazi ukusiqonda ngokugcwele. Sinjengodedangendlale womkhathi, nawo okunzima ukuba siwuqonde. Kusobala ukuthi isikhathi singezinye zezinto okunguNkulunkulu kuphela ongaziqonda ngokugcwele, ngoba nguye kuphela ‘osukela phakade kuze kube phakade.’—IHubo 90:2.

Nakuba iBhayibheli lingasichazi isikhathi, likhuluma ngaso njengento engokoqobo. Okokuqala, iBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi uNkulunkulu wadala “izinkanyiso”—ilanga, inyanga nezinkanyezi—njengezimpawu zesikhathi, ukuze “zibe yizibonakaliso zezinkathi, nezezinsuku, nezeminyaka.” Izenzakalo eziningi ezilotshwe eBhayibhelini zisekelwe ngokuqinile esikhathini esithile. (Genesise 1:14; 5:3-32; 7:11, 12; 11:10-32; Eksodusi 12:40, 41) IBhayibheli likhuluma nangesikhathi njengokuthile okufanele sikusebenzise ngokuhlakanipha ukuze sibe sethubeni lokuzuza isibusiso sikaNkulunkulu sesikhathi esingunaphakade—ithuba lokuphila phakade.—Efesu 5:15, 16.

Ukuphila Okumi Phakade—Ingabe Kunengqondo?

Njengoba kukhungathekisa kangaka ukuqonda ukuthi siyini ngempela isikhathi, kubantu abaningi umqondo wokuphila okumi phakade, noma ukuphila phakade, kudida nakakhulu. Esinye sezizathu zalokhu singase sibe ukuthi esikwaziyo ngesikhathi bekulokhu kuhlobene nomjikelezo wokuzalwa, ukukhula, ukuguga nokufa. Ngakho, siye sahlobanisa ukuhamba kwesikhathi nenqubo yokuguga ngokwayo. Kwabaningi, ukucabanga ngenye indlela kungabonakala kuwukuphambana nawo kanye umqondo wesikhathi. Bangase babuze: ‘Kungani umuntu kufanele angabhekani nalokho zonke ezinye izidalwa eziphilayo ezibonakala zibhekana nako?’

Okuvame ukushaywa indiva kule ndlela yokucabanga yiqiniso lokuthi abantu bahlukile kakade kuzo zonke ezinye izidalwa ezicini eziningana. Ngokwesibonelo, izilwane azinawo amakhono angokwengqondo abantu abanawo. Nakuba kungase kushiwo okuphambene, azikwazi ukwenza okungaphezu kwalokho umuzwa wazo ongokwemvelo oziqhubezela ukuba zikwenze. Azinazo izipho zobungcweti noma ikhono lokubonisa uthando nokwazisa, abantu abanakho. Uma abantu beye banikwa okuningi kangako kulezi zimfanelo namakhono enza ukuphila kube nenjongo, kungani kungenakwenzeka ukuthi baye banikwa okwengeziwe futhi uma kuziwa ekuphileni ngokwakho?

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, akuyona yini into emangazayo ukuthi imithi, engakwazi ukucabanga, kwezinye izimo iphila izinkulungwane zeminyaka, kuyilapho abantu abahlakaniphile bengaphila ngokwesilinganiso iminyaka engu-70 kuya kwengu-80 kuphela? Akuyona yini indida ukuthi ufudu, olungenawo amakhono okusungula izinto noma obungcweti, lungaphila iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-200, kuyilapho abantu, abawanikwe ngokucebile la makhono, bephila isikhathi esingaphansi kakhulu kwengxenye yalokho?

Nakuba umuntu engenakusiqonda ngokugcwele isikhathi nobuphakade, isithembiso sokuphila okumi phakade kuseyithemba elisekelwe ngokuqinile eBhayibhelini. Kulo, amazwi athi “ukuphila okumi phakade” avela izikhathi ezithi azibe ngu-40. Kodwa uma injongo kaNkulunkulu iwukuba abantu baphile phakade, kungani ingakafezeki? Lo mbuzo uzocatshangelwa esihlokweni esilandelayo.